Not just for Francis, but for the Rockies’ young starters who are struggling to evolve from throwers to major-league pitchers.

“When you get someone who pitches in the manner in which Jeff Francis did, pounding the strike zone, getting ahead in the count, keeping hitters off balance, you put yourself in a favorable position to win on most nights,” Tracy said.

Tracy added that he hoped the youngsters were watching the 31-year-old Francis.

Christian Friedrich, a 24-year-old rookie left-hander, must have been paying close attention. After getting pounded in his four previous starts at Coors Field (1-3, 11.64 ERA), Friedrich tamed the beast Saturday night.

He left with a 2-1 lead, but Jeremy Guthrie and Adam Ottavino allowed seven runs the next three innings and the Rockies went on to lose 8-4 to the Padres.

Friedrich was downright Francis-like. Effectively mixing his fastball, slider and curve, he pitched five efficient innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out five. And here’s the important part: He didn’t walk a batter.

“The way Jeff pitches just shows you that you don’t have to have that overpowering fastball,” Friedrich said. “If you make quality pitches down in the zone, you are going to come out all right.

“It’s fun to watch him pitch. Now I get to come in and pitch the day after, and I could see exactly what he does. He really masters his changup and drops his curveball in there when he needs to.”

Friedrich’s one big mistake was throwing a fastball over the heart of the plate in the fourth. Padres rookie catcher Yasmani Grandal transported the pitch over the center-field fence for a solo home run. It was the first homer, and first hit, of Grandal’s big-league career.

Friday night, Francis painted the plate with an assortment of fastballs, changeups and curves, holding the Padres to three hits over six scoreless innings as the Rockies won 10-2. He became the first Rockies starter to claim a victory since June 4. Over his last three starts, Francis has posted a 1.69 ERA.

“Let’s just say this: I haven’t gotten anything figured out here,” he said. “I have thrown a couple of good games, but I’m not a guru or anything. I do talk to the other guys, and we bounce things off each other. But I learn as much from them as they learn from me.”

Francis’ 88 mph fastball is a few ticks slower than his fellow starters’ heaters.

“I don’t throw as hard, but I have experience,” he said. “It’s all about commanding my curveball and changeup and being able to throw both for strikes. It’s also about being able to throw my curveball out of the zone when I need to.

“It’s about going out there, throwing to the glove and not trying to do too much.”

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